I soaked in the spacious bathtub, washing away the day's fatigue.
Today had certainly been an eventful day. There were moments of confusion and times when my spirits sank, but more than anything, it served as a reminder that I truly had wonderful lovers.
Looking back on it that way, it might have actually been a pretty good day.
With those thoughts in mind, I pulled a bottle of beer from my Magic Box, poured it into a glass, and took a drink.
Cold beer in a warm bath... Mm, it was pure bliss.
The rule Kuro and the others had established was that the person I was scheduled to go around the festival with the following day would join me in the bath. Following that rule, I didn't have anyone specific planned for tomorrow—the day of the festival Magnawell-san had organized.
That meant I was supposed to have the bath all to myself tonight.
While spending time with Kuro and the others was always fun, it felt good to enjoy a drink alone like this once in a while...
"Excuse me! Miyama-kun, I'm here!"
"Pfft—!?"
Along with the sound of the door swinging open came a familiar voice—one belonging to someone who definitely shouldn't have been there.
Caught off guard, I reflexively turned around to find Fia-sensei standing there, her body wrapped in a large bath towel.
"F-Fia-sensei!? W-What are you doing here!?"
"Ehehe, I wanted to see you, Miyama-kun, so I came."
As she gave me a bashful smile, Fia-sensei unabashedly revealed the beautiful skin usually hidden by her sister's habit. With her dark grey hair tied up high, she gave off a completely different aura than usual.
"N-No, when you say you wanted to see me..."
"Hmm? It's fine. I left my patients in the care of my fellow doctors, and I've closed the clinic for today and tomorrow!"
"I-I mean, that's fine and all, but... why are you in the bath?"
"Well, I consulted Chrome-sama about wanting to go around the festival with you, and she mentioned that your schedule for tomorrow, the Fourth Day, might be open. So, I came by to ask you directly. Then I heard about this wonderful rule where the person scheduled to go with you the next day gets to join you in the bath, so I rushed over!"
"..."
Where was I even supposed to start? For one thing, this was the first I'd heard of the rule applying to spontaneous walk-ins... but more importantly, wait, was I going around with Fia-sensei tomorrow?
That wasn't a problem in itself. In fact, Fia-sensei was technically already counted as "my companion."
Apparently, she had received an invitation of her own, but she had expressed a desire to participate as my companion instead. Since I had originally intended to visit her clinic to invite her anyway, I had readily agreed.
However, since Fia-sensei was a doctor with responsibilities at her clinic, it was difficult for her to attend the entire festival, so she hadn't come here with us from the start.
So, while she was my companion in name and there was no issue with us going together...
"E-Err, well, it's true I hadn't decided on anyone for tomorrow yet, so that's fine... but are you sure about this, Fia-sensei? Shouldn't you spend time with Kuro or your family...?"
"Of course, I already went to greet Chrome-sama, and I'm planning to go around with my family on the sixth day."
"Oh, so you have other days free too. That's a relief."
"Fufu, thank you for worrying about me. It makes me happy."
"Ah, no..."
Fia-sensei had been smiling much more brightly lately compared to before. Was it because she was family? She felt somewhat similar to Kuro.
Combined with her occasional clumsiness, she really felt like a charming, lovely woman.
As I was thinking that, Fia-sensei moved naturally toward the tub, prompting me to avert my gaze.
I heard the sound of her rinsing her body before she stepped into the water.
"Phew... this feels wonderful."
"Y-Yeah, it does."
It went without saying, but Fia-sensei was a stunning beauty. And although she was the type who looked slender in clothes, from what I'd glimpsed earlier, she was actually quite well-endowed.
Realizing I was in a bath with a woman possessing such a mature, feminine figure made me incredibly nervous...
"Oh? Hikari is late."
"Eh? Noin-san? Is Noin-san coming too?"
"Yes. I thought it would be nice if Miyama-kun, Hikari, and I could all go around together, so I invited her. Hikari agreed, and we came to the changing room together, but..."
I had no objections to the three of us visiting the festival together. However, when it came to the special rule about mixed bathing, that was a major problem.
Well, more to the point, I couldn't imagine the incredibly shy Noin-san actually being able to go through with mixed bathing.
Just then, the door opened once more. Don't tell me she actually came!?
"Ah, Hikari, finally—eh?"
"Fia-sensei? What's the... huh?"
Startled by Fia-sensei's confused exclamation, I followed her gaze and looked toward the door... only to find Noin-san standing there in an unbelievable state. Wait, was that actually Noin-san?
"...I-I am sorry to have kept you waiting."
"I mean, the wait isn't the problem..."
"N-Noin-san? T-That outfit is..."
Accompanied by the clank of armor and heavy, thundering footsteps, Noin-san had appeared wearing a suit of full-body armor that was at least two sizes larger than her usual set.
It was way too rugged! She looked like some kind of robot. Honestly, how was she even able to walk in all that heavy equipment!?
"This is my... Bathing Cloth!"
"No, no! How are you supposed to bathe in something that looks like an Iron Golem!? For that matter, are there even any gaps in that thing?"
"It is quite alright, Fia... It is of a construction that will not let even a single drop of water inside! Since it is made of Magic Power, there are no issues with the articulation of the joints!"
"That makes it even worse! Why are you saying that with such a sense of accomplishment!?"
I wholeheartedly agreed with Fia-sensei's shout. At this point, she wasn't so much entering a bath as she was preparing for a deep-sea expedition.
I mean, really... if she was that embarrassed, she shouldn't have insisted on mixed bathing in the first place...
Dear Mother, Father—Fia-sensei and Noin-san burst in while I was in the bath. Well, Fia-sensei was one thing, but Noin-san... honestly, isn't that armor a bit much?
Full Armor Noin - Total Height: Approx. 200cm - Weight: Approx. 360kg - Fully Waterproof